District Planning and Finance Advisor - Cowater

Cowater International is an Ottawa-based Canadian management consulting firm specializing in international development. We work primarily on projects funded by donors.  You can learn more about us at www.cowater.com.
We are currently seeking to recruit a District Planning & Finance Advisor to help implement the CIDA-funded project, Better Approaches to Service Provision through Increased Capacities in Sulawesi (BASICS).  The project  purpose is to link planning and budgeting processes in a participatory, pro-poor, gender equal and environmentally sustainable manner leading to improved MDGs/MSS-based social services provision in selected districts/cities in Sulawesi. 

The District Planning and Finance Advisor will be located in Makassar, Sulawesi and will provide guidance to the BASICS project team as well as advice to district/city, provincial and national government Project partners, and related stakeholders, in planning, budgeting and other management processes, particularly as they pertain to the delivery of health and education services. This includes introducing appropriate new practices and approaches to achieve MDG and MSS targets and to improve related data management.  

Responsibilities of the District Planning & Finance Advisor:


Reports to: Government Services & Capacity Development Advisor (GS&CDA)


Job Description:

• Working closely with the Government Services and Capacity Development Advisor, provide overall guidance to ensure the various activities and materials related to planning, budgeting, and management of health and education services for the three stakeholder groups of the project (executive, civil society and DPRD) are coherent and synergies to achieve project targeted results;
• Produce reference materials and guidelines in his/her area of  expertise to guide the BASICS team of District Facilitators, Provincial Coordinators and other team members in delivering the BASICS capacity development activities with provincial and district/city counterparts.  This includes knowledge building and work place application approaches leading to institutional sustainability;
• Provide guidance to the BASICS team of District Facilitators and Provincial Coordinators in their role of facilitation to the district/city and provincial counterparts through support and follow-up to ensure the achievement of project results;
• Provide guidance to the Provincial Coordinators in the support to provincial government counterparts relating to the oversight, monitoring and technical assistance by provincial governments to districts/cities;
• Provide technical advice and leadership to help conduct studies and surveys regarding District Planning, management  & Finance issues;
• Monitor the progress of activities in his/her area of responsibility and identify measures and    propose solutions to support the team of DFs and PCs in achieving targeted results;
• Take part in the regular meetings of the project’s internal “Technical Team” and other team meetings when required;
• Design, facilitate and conduct  workshops, meetings, FDGs with project counterparts in his/her areas of expertise;
• Help identify and source governmental and non-governmental expertise at national and regional level to support project implementation
• Support, apply and monitor environmental management, gender equality and anti-corruption principles, as required.
• Provide input and advice to support the Project’s Knowledge Management Strategy.
• Provide assistance to the Project Director and Knowledge Management Technical Advisor to ensure that experiences, models and lessons derived from the BRI are packaged and shared with relevant decision-makers. 

Desired Key Qualifications:

• Masters degree in public administration, management, political sciences or other relevant disciplines;
• Minimum 10 years relevant experience working in governance issues ideally related to district, city and provincial governments issues
• Experience in capacity development interventions with government, particularly regional governments (district, city and provincial)
• Knowledge of national government policies and inter-governmental relations related to regional government operations;
• Good overall communications skills and excellent writing skills and ability to structure written documents 
• Particular experience with planning and budgeting, MDGs, Minimum Service Standards, local service delivery issues  in the health and education sectors is considered an additional asset
• Experience in international donor programs and their associated frameworks of results based management, reporting requirements, applying cross-cutting themes such as gender equality, anti-corruption, etc.
• Proficiency in written and oral English considered an additional asset
• Willingness and ability to travel extensively in Sulawesi

Interested candidates should submit an e-mail highlighting their relevant qualifications with the subject line “District Planning & Finance Advisor” and with a complete c.v. attached to info@basicsproject.or.id  
All applications are appreciated, but only suitably qualified candidates will be contacted. 

The closing date for applications is November 21, 2010.